When it comes to romantic movies, most folks can content themselves with swooning over The Notebook or taking a trip on the Titanic. But but nerdy genre film fans appreciate a little time-jumping or severed limbs or robots to spice up their love stories. We’ve scoured all the streaming services to find this master list of the best geeky movies all about love —and where you’ll find them online— just in time for Valentine’s Day viewing.
After each movie, we’ve noted where you can stream the movie for free or with a subscription; in cases where no such version is available, we note where you can pay to rent the flick.
Want more nerdy news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
2 / 41
We don’t even have to explain why this one is on the list. But even if you can already quote every line of this 1987 fairy tale from director Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman, it still holds up again and again during multiple hundreds of viewings. (Disney+)
3 / 41
She’s a mute custodian working at a top-secret government lab at the height of the Cold War; he’s a... fish-man that both the U.S. and Soviet agents who’re aware of his presence hope to exploit and/or destroy. Who’s to say these two crazy kids can’t find love in spite of everything? Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed 2017 monster epic swooned and swam its way to 13 Oscar nominations, eventually winning four, including Best Picture and Best Director. (Fubo, FXNow, DirectTV, Freevee)
4 / 41
While we’re on the subject of sexy fish people, let’s not overlook Ron Howard’s 1984 fantasy about a regular-guy fruit salesman (Tom Hanks) who unexpectedly reconnects with the beautiful mermaid (Daryl Hannah) he first encountered as a child. Sure, there are romantic complications in this literal fish out of water story, but true love finds a way of overcoming obstacles, including inter-species ones. The Disney+ version made waves, har har, when viewers realized the studio had digitally and hilariously obscured a certain body part, but that’s been fixed. There’s also plenty of intentional comedy by way of supporting players John Candy and Eugene Levy. (Disney+)
5 / 41
After a freak accident in the 1930s, a woman (Blake Lively) stops aging—a condition that keeps her young and beautiful for decades, but also means she has to watch her daughter (Ellen Burstyn) grow into an elderly woman, not to mention settle into a life revolving around changing her identity every few years while avoiding any attachments. That last one becomes difficult when she meets a man (Michiel Huisman) she’d like to spend the rest of her life with, if only she weren’t, y’know, inconveniently immortal. Will true love be enough to break the spell? Will it never not be surprising to see Harrison Ford randomly pop up in a supporting role in this movie? The answers are yes and no. (Netflix)
6 / 41
Her life’s a disaster, and he’s a certified goofball. When they find themselves trapped in the same time loop while attending a wedding in Palm Springs—well, a lot of wild stuff ensues, but it all builds toward them falling in love. Stars Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg are delightful (as is co-star J.K. Simmons, who plays the third unwitting occupant of the time loop) in an unconventional rom-com that somehow makes its familiar Groundhog Day set-up feel sparkling and new again. (Hulu)
7 / 41
After Joel (Maze Runner’s Dylan O’Brien) gets separated from his sweetie Aimee (The Matrix Resurrections’ Jessica Henwick) in the wake of an apocalyptic event—sure, asteroids are bad, but what about an asteroid that causes an outbreak of ferocious mutant beasts?—he sets out on a quest to find her again. It’s a lightweight story that’s mostly about Joel’s journey, which is heavier on “monsters” than “love,” but you get bonuses like Michael Rooker and a heroic dog being among those Joel meets along the way. (Prime Video, Fubo, Paramount+, MGM+, DirectTV)
8 / 41
This 2021 release is based on a short story by The Magicians author Lev Grossman, who also wrote the screenplay. Mark (Kyle Allen, who will play He-Man in Netflix’s upcoming Masters of the Universe movie) and Margaret (Kathryn Newton from Freaky and Big Little Lies) play teens who get to know each other—and, naturally, fall for each other—while they’re trapped in the same time loop. It’s far more cute and familiar than Palm Springs, but the leads are appealing together, and there are definitely worse things to spend your time doing than watching the movie version of a catchy pop song. (Prime Video)
9 / 41
The 1932 Universal Horror classic is full of creepy chills, courtesy of Boris Karloff’s masterful performance and the genius of make-up artist Jack Pierce. However, it’s not without its heartfelt moments, as Karloff’s ancient mummy—who masquerades as an Egyptian historian after he’s brought back to life—desperately tries to connect with a woman (Zita Johann) he believes is the reincarnation of his long-lost love. The romantic vibes evaporate when he attempts to transform her into his mummy bride, but still. (Rent on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu)
10 / 41
In this 1998 fantasy, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman play witch sisters whose family is cursed to be tragically unlucky in love... until Bullock’s character meets her soul mate (Aidan Quinn), who is also, unfortunately, the lawman who suspects her (correctly) of murdering her sister’s abusive boyfriend (though he doesn’t realize there was magic involved). I know what you’re thinking, but just because Practical Magic is on your Halloween movie list doesn’t mean you can’t also watch it for Valentine’s Day! (Rent on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu)
11 / 41
Most of this 1984 musical follows the Muppets’ struggle to get their theatrical production Manhattan Melodies mounted on Broadway. While the best scene in the movie is probably the gleefully chaotic make-up counter face-off between Miss Piggy and Joan Rivers... this is also the movie where Kermit and Miss Piggy get married onstage (but also married for real, to Kermit’s surprise and no one else’s) at the end. (Paramount+, MGM+, DirectTV)
12 / 41
Weirdly, one of two entries in the “Rachel McAdams dates a time-traveler” rom-com subgenre. In Richard Curtis’ About Time, McAdams she falls for a guy named Tim (Domhnall “General Hux” Gleeson) who’s able to Groundhog Day his own life by returning to precise moments in his past to ensure the future he wants.
A big part of that is wooing McAdams’ character, of course; that’s where the Richard Curtis signature brand of romance (he’s the guy who also did Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Four Weddings and a Funeral) comes in. But the real sweetness of the movie is its exploration of the relationship between Tim and his father, James (the delightful Bill Nighy), who has the same talent but makes sure to teach his son how to appreciate life one day at a time, even with the magical benefit of nearly unlimited do-overs. (Prime Video)
13 / 41
Kiyoshi Kurasawa—whose filmography includes 2001's Pulse, probably the scariest entry in the Japanese horror wave that unleashed so many nightmares 20 or so years ago—doesn’t really specialize in a genre so much as a mood, bringing fiercely intimate stories to life in settings that other filmmakers might not be able to resist exploring on a much larger scale. Case in point: Before We Vanish, maybe the most existentially propelled alien invasion movie ever. Three extraterrestrials arrive on Earth ahead of a planned invasion, taking on human forms and roaming around extracting human concepts that they don’t otherwise understand—“family,” “freedom,” “work,” “self,” etc.—from people they encounter.
Each visitor has their own narrative as part of this journey, but the only part resembling romance concerns Shinji (Ryuhei Matsuda) and Narumi (Masami Nagasawa). The young married couple is edging toward a breakup thanks to Shinji’s infidelity and general checked-out-ness until he’s suddenly replaced by a new version who’s curious, childlike, and definitely not the same annoying dickhead Narumi’s come to resent.
Before We Vanish is overall a film about figuring out what being human really means—and all the confusion, paranoia, uncertainty, joy, frustration, fear, and just utter weirdness that goes with it—but the rebuilding of Shinji and Narumi’s relationship is the heart of this remarkable sci-fi tale, even if it doesn’t exactly end in a happy place. (Kanopy)
14 / 41
Ang Lee’s stunning blend of romance, tragedy, history, intrigue, and gravity-defying fight scenes turns 23 this year, but even with all its special effects, the multiple Oscar winner (Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography) still feels timeless. Though Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon obviously has many more praise-worthy elements than just its twin love stories—damn, what love stories they are.
The younger couple, a haughty governor’s daughter and a scrappy bandit, have a dramatic meet-cute after he pounces on her desert caravan, though the social barriers between them are something even the fiercest of passions has trouble overcoming. The older couple—played by the sublime Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat—aren’t even a couple, not technically, but has any other movie ever captured stoic, soulful longing so heartbreakingly perfectly? (Streaming on aha / For rent Source: Gizmodo